\I was out of town last week, and as such neglected my blog. Specifically, I was visiting Miami, and have chosen to share a few highlights from my travels.
While Miami's cultural offerings are notable, the city very much values its outdoor space and with it, the attendant outdoor activities. In the art department, there are at least four notable institutions: the Miami Art Museum, the Bass Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Wolfsonian. I have visited all but the Bass, and this visit it was the Miami Art Museum that I finally discovered.
MAM is located in an elevated plaza just steps from the Government Center stop on the city's sleek Metrorail elevated subway system. Miami has been a latecomer to the concept of mass transit, possibly due to the fact that trains most likely need to run above ground, due to the ever-present Atlantic Ocean. There is also an extensive Metrobus system, as well as talks to extend the rail system across Biscayne Bay to Miami Beach.
I rode the Metrorail from Coral Gables to Government Center and almost wish the ride had been longer, such was the appealing vista, looking north towards the Civic Center and beyond. The station stop was large and open, clean and appealing. I enjoyed the novelty of an alfresco escalator ride from the elevated station down to street level, then a staircase back up again to the plaza housing MAM, as well as the Main Library and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Did I mention outdoor sculptures both in this plaza, as well as down at street level? The weekly farmer's market helps round out the picture of a vibrant, dynamic urban center.
MAM is in the process of moving to larger quarters and as such, only the second floor was open during my visit. Still, it was a worthy take in, as a concise but thoughtful exhibit on Marcel Duchamp attests. Alas, the museum was sparsely populated, and one only hopes it will become more popular when it moves to its new home on Biscayne Bay in the newly designated Museum Park. What is planned for the current home of MAM is unclear, but for the sake of tourist traffic, it might be wise to install another cultural draw. For now, Miami's Civic Center is an appealing vista and well worth a visit.
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